Q. In Keddusha deSidra, the Targum Onkelos of Hashem reigns forever is Hashem, His kingdom rules forever. Why is the verb rules masculine when its subject is kingdom is feminine?
A. Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a explained that when a feminine subject alludes and implies another masculine subject associated with it, the former is often treated as masculine. An example would be Matzos yeochel es shivas hayamim (Shemos 13: 7) Matzos shall be eaten during the seven days. Matzos is a feminine subject, while the verb yeochel is masculine. This is due to the fact that the word Matzos is also in fact the masculine Lechem and therefore is often preceded and implied by it, so it is treated as masculine. Another example would be Yom Hashvii, Hashabbos Hagodol Vehakodosh Haze (Retzeh.)
Although Shabbos is a feminine expression, since it implies and alludes to the Yom of Shabbos, it is regarded as a masculine subject.
In Hashem Malchusei Koem the targum’s translation of Hashem Yimloch, (Shemos 15: 18,) the masculine word Hashem, that often precedes and is implied by the rerm Yimloch, and now is translated as His Kingdom, would be addressed as masculine.
The Rov also pointed out that Torah Shlemah (ibid.) quotes a different girsa namely the feminine Kayama. R’ Shmuel Gross also pointed a third girsa in chumash
that evades that term altogether.
(See also Kidushin 2b in regards to the word derech
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlita
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